Music can be divided into many genres in many different ways. These classifications are often [who?

] arbitrary and closely related styles often overlap. Many do not believe that generic classification of musical styles is possible in any logically consistent way, and also argue that doing so sets limitations and boundaries that hinder the development of music. While no one doubts that it is possible to note similarities between musical pieces, there are often exceptions and caveats associated. Labeling music with genres often do not reflect a specific culture, race, or time period. Larger genres comprise more specific sub genres.

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. The word derives [1] from Greek (mousike; "art of the Muses"). The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of music vary according to culture and social context. Music ranges from strictly organized compositions (and their recreation in performance), through improvisational music to aleatoric forms. Music can be divided into genres andsubgenres, although the dividing lines and relationships between music genres are often subtle, sometimes open to individual interpretation, and occasionally controversial. Within "the arts", music may be classified as a performing art, a fine art, and auditory art. There is also a strong connection between music and mathematics. To many people in many cultures, music is an important part of their way of life. Ancient Greek and Indian philosophers defined music as tones ordered horizontally as melodies and vertically as harmonies. Common sayings such as "the harmony of the spheres" and "it is music to my ears" point to the notion that music is often ordered and pleasant to listen to. However, 20th-century composer John Cage thought that any sound can be music, saying, for example, "There is no noise, only sound." [2] Musicologist Jean-Jacques Nattiez summarizes the relativist, post-modern viewpoint: "The border between music and noise is always culturally definedwhich implies that, even within a single society, this border does not always pass through the same place; in short, there is rarely a consensus ... By all accounts there is no single and intercultural universal concept defining what [3] music might be."

People love music for much the same reason they're drawn to sex, drugs, gambling and delicious food, according to new research. When you listen to tunes that move you, the study found, your brain releases dopamine, a chemical involved in both motivation and addiction. Even just anticipating the sounds of a composition like Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" or Phish's "You Enjoy Myself" can get the feel-good chemical flowing, found the study, which was the first to make a concrete link between dopamine release and musical pleasure. The findings offer a biological explanation for why music has been such a major part of major emotional events in cultures around the world since the beginning of human history. Through music, the study also offers new insights into how the human pleasure system works. "You're following these tunes and anticipating what's going to come next and whether it's going to confirm or surprise you, and all of these little cognitive nuances are what's giving you this amazing

pleasure," said Valorie Salimpoor, a neuroscientist at McGill University in Montreal. "The reinforcement or reward happens almost entirely because of dopamine." Music to Your Ears? "This basically explains why music has been around for so long," she added. "The intense pleasure we get from it is actually biologically reinforcing in the brain, and now here's proof for it."

Listening music make student more productive

Just so there is no confusion here, I want to say that I do not advocate listening to music during a lesson when I the teacher is teaching or during class discussions. During these times students need to be attentive listeners and listen to what is going on in the class. Of course there have to be some guidelines for this to work effectively. Ive learned the hard way.(Have you noticed, I seem to say that often?) After discussing using music as a tool to assist with concentration and focus, I give student these guidelines (well, theyre actually rules, but guidelines sound so much better. Some of my at risk students have trouble with rules. Its all how you say it. Ive learned that the hard way, too) These are the guidelines: 1. Listen to music that you know and love. Listening to new, unfamiliar music is distracting (your brain focuses on the new) and that defeats the purpose. 2. Listen to your own music on your own iPod, Mp3 player etc. Absolutely no sharing. Sharing wastes time and causes commotion that is distracting to other students and that defeats the purpose. 3. Listen to your music after I have taught the lesson. Listening to music while I am teaching distracts you from what I am saying and that defeats the purpose. My students are cool about the whole music thing in class. They understand the need for guidelines and usually dont push too often. Its amazing to see the kids hooked up to their music and working away, doing far more while listening to their music than they would without listening to their music. When I create an Individual Education Plan for my Learning Disabled or Behaviour students, if I believe that listening to music while working will help that student be more successful, I will include that accommodation in the I.E.P. and share that with the students teachers.

Music and studying Most people know that listening to music helps some people study, while hindering others. What many dont realize is the type of music can make a huge difference for certain types of learners, making some types of music an option as a study help for people who think it does them no good.

That isnt to say that music helps everyone. It doesnt. How helpful it can be often varies from topic to topic, too, for people. But it can certainly help more people than realize it. (Some people consider this a separate learning style element, called aural.) First figure out if words distract you with musicand I dont mean if youre distracted when one of your favorite songs comes on the radio that you dont hear often and want to sing along with. Do words distract you as a rule? If so, youll have to bear that in mind while seeking a form of music, always finding an instrumental version of the style youre testing. Are you more distracted by music you know well or intriguing new songs? Make sure you pick and stick to the one that will cause the least distraction. Secondly, pick something to study. Make sure you stick to that specific type of studying (i.e., memorization, concept learning, mathematics) for the entire time youre trying to isolate the best form of music for it. Now run a few base tests with styles to try to narrow it down a bit. Try a few styles you like or can at least tolerate, like easy listening, Celtic, classical, and rock. If youre familiar with the concept of minor key (its what makes most Celtic, Gothic, and New Age music depressing to some people and relaxing to others), try to notice if you study better with minor or major key. If you prefer major key, next test a few music genres of that style. Gospel music, classical, pop, and rock are usually in the major key. Admittedly, some of these will be difficult to find instrumental versions for if thats what you need, but it may be worth the study results. Artists often have samples online you can use to test, and you can always ask friends to borrow their CDs if they can trust you to return them. For minor key, you may at first find it a bit more difficult. At a glance, your only option is Celtic or New Agesoft stuff, quite easy to find instrumental versions of, but what about those who work better with heavier music. This is where such genres as Celtic and Gothic rock come in, which are actually quite similar, so dont panic at the Gothic name. Most people find it pretty if they dont know what theyre listening to; its a technical term with historical roots, but if youre predisposed to suicidal tendencies, please avoid those that do have depressing lyrics for your own safety. If youre unable to distinguish the keys, try to isolate characteristics of music that helps you even only a little to figure out what genre will help you the most. If you have to, you can compile the characteristics. Once youve narrowed it down to a genre that helps you with that style of studying, congratulations! Youre ready to restart the process for another form, or you could just stick to the type of music youve isolated for studying in general till you have time to run another test. But be willing to turn the music off if necessaryjust because it helps you concentrate on the math doesnt mean itll help you with memorization. Now that you know what you need, you might want to consider adding another style of music to your study bag: techno. Sometimes called dance, this is the rapid-beat music that restaurants play at busy times in the background so people move out quickly. A number of people find it annoying, but if you can even tolerate it, it might help you when youre trying to accomplish

something swiftly, like research and writing for a paper. Noteit also drives your pulse up the roof, so be careful with it. It may sound silly, but do have a care with all music. It has biological effects besides damaging your hearing when you blare it too loudly. It can raise and lower your blood pressure, raise or lessen bodily stress, and some lyrics can have you thinking things you dont generallyor ever say or do. Have fun in picking your music style(s) needed for learning, and test numerous styles, but be cautious, too!

Bestway to study

For some time, research studies have concluded that we do not learn/study in precisely the same way. For this brief commentary, I have deliberately grouped both terms as similar. While this common sense approach towards scholarship represents a welcomed message for parents and students, many teachers still teach a large number of pupils one way, more often than not, by using traditional teaching styles that might appear to be successful for the teacher but unsuccessful for a large majority of the youngsters seated in front of them. This is incorrect teaching -- proof that common sense continues to be not all that common within many of today's classrooms. My following commentary attempts to address this key issue, while at the same time, offering suggestions for possible classroom improvement. If teachers require their students to receive domain-specific information in a way that does not correspond with their dominant learning modalities, to perform under classroom conditions that interfere with their preferred learning, or to demonstrate learning in such a way that fails them to use their more dominant intelligences, then such teachers create within their students forms of artificial stress, reduced motivation, and repressed performance. Along this same line of thinking, there is a considerable body of research evidence suggesting that many special education students who have been formally categorized, for example, as learning disabled (LD) are, in fact, not LD students per se but assessed and taught incorrectly in terms of their dominant learning style. Perhaps a more positive way of describing their LD is that they simply Learn Differently! And now, after painting a negative but realistic image of numerous contemporary classrooms ... the good news, and the good news is indeed promising! An efficient classroom teacher will tend to teach in many different ways in order to reach all of her/his students. Teaching something only one way (such as lecturing to one's

auditory learning channel) will miss all the students who do not learn best in that manner. Simply put for this web comment, good teaching is teaching through a variety of learning channels. Most students can learn the same content. But how they best receive and then perceive that content is determined largely by their individual learning styles. Simply defined, a student's studying style is the way a student processes, concentrates, internalizes and retain novel and often difficult bits of domain specific content knowledge, usually for testing and examination purposes. And as is the case with how one best learns information, many of the same elements, emotional, environmental, biological, sociological, and physiological must also be taken into account when studying. Learning Elements Emotional Emotional factors which may influence learning are: motivation, responsibility, and persistence. Through identification and modification, bad study / learning habits can be replaced by more productive habits. Knowing your current levels of these emotional factors, and working to positively reshape them can not only enhance your studying potential but change your outlook toward challenging courses. Environmental Environmental factors such as sound, temperature, lighting, and physical arrangement can have a significant impact on your ability to learn / study. Although some of us enjoy loud background music, many prefer a quiet place to learn, clear of distractions. Some students crank up the heating system whereas others seem to prefer a cooler studying environment. Some children prefer a low lighting system around them, while others have all the lights in the house on. Others enjoy the traditional chair and desk study approach while still others seem to be able to study all curled up in the middle of a bed. In short, paying close attention to these environmental factors and establishing an environment conducive to studying can increase overall learning. Biological In the 1960s, Roger Sperry's Nobel prize winning work suggested that the right and left hand sides of the human brain possessed specialized and different functions: the left being clinical and analytical while the right influenced the more artistic and sensing side of our nature. That is, our left cerebral hemisphere handled, in the main, logical/linear functions and verbal/linguistic skills, and the right half of our brain developed a reputation as the artistic, imaginative, emotional, musical, and holistic side. Today, while that form of cerebral thinking is considered somewhat simplistic, it may have opened up additional avenues to greater exploration into the true nature of cognitive functioning and how all of us acquire, store and employ domain specific knowledge. That split-brain hypothesis so prevalent at that time represented a challenge to the concept of intellectual quotient (IQ) which, in the main, purported to assess verbal/linguistic and logical/mathematical skills, skills that were once considered to be handled by the left half of the brain. Today, more advanced research

suggests that IQ scores actually measure only some of our overall abilities. This fact is evidenced by the realization that good athletes, artists or musicians were once simply (supposedly) talented while those considered good in science and math were considered smart or intelligent. In today's 2009 world, all of them ought to be considered 'intelligent.' Sociological Most students are not aware of the sociological factors that positively affect their ability to study effectively. Some prefer studying alone, in pairs, or in teams with adults or any combination thereof. Similarly, some seem to learn best in bright lights while others prefer darker corners. And some seem to learn best while eating or drinking or with loud music on in the background. While it is difficult for a variety of these sociological patters to operate simultaneously within one classroom, their value for efficient learning, especially studying, is of note here. To sum, students benefit from utilizing a variety of different sociological settings, as some serve to enhance initial learning while others act as reinforcement for studying. Physiological Physical factors which influence your studying / learning style are those that involve your senses: auditory (ears), visual (eyes), tactile (touch), kinaesthetic(motion), gusta tory (taste), and olfactory (smell), the initial three being more predominant. Visual students study best by watching a process, or reading materials. Research suggests that most learning occurs here. Next comes the auditory learning channel. Here, we study best by listening in class, discussing information in groups, and reciting study notes. Tactile students study best by hands-on activities, manipulating objects or flash cards, working problems or retyping notes. Kinaesthetic students study best by demonstrating movement in their work, exercising while reading, or walking while reciting their notes. Olfactory students involve their nose to distinguish specific elements. And finally, gustatory students study best by tasting the item under investigation. These latter two factors account for only a minor part of overall learning. How more auditory learners study Auditory students tend to learn mainly by hearing classroom information. They seem to learn best through their ears, especially via verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to the words of others. They interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances. When they have pages to read for homework, they need to quietly say the words aloud in order to hear the words as they read. Often, written information has little meaning until it is heard. When they are learning concepts such as phonetic sounds, they need to hear the similarities. For example, they may not realize "ph" sounds just like "f" unless they say the sounds out loud. Reading aloud, going over class notes and talking to oneself about the relevant points is important. Before reading, set a purpose and verbalize it, after finished a task, be sure to summarize out loud what was just read.

These learners often benefit from reading text aloud and using a tape recorder. Taping lectures or notes and playing them back to learn the information can be quite an effective way for an auditory student to understand and remember the information. The speaking of ideas into a tape recorder is like having a conversation with someone. If possible, such learners should talk to their friends about the material. Because auditory learners sometimes encounter problems keeping columns aligned, math computations can be completed on graph paper. The extreme left-hand column in Table 1 below lists alternative strategies for the auditory learner. How more visual learners study Visual students learn mainly by 'seeing' the material to be learned, that is, when the material is presented graphically, as in charts, tables, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flip charts, hand-outs, maps, etc. Such students often prefer sitting at the front of the classroom to avoid irrelevant visual obstructions. When in class, visual people should look at the teachers when they are speaking, participate in class discussions and take detailed notes during lectures. Visual learners enjoy watching the teacher's body language and facial expression. This enables them to better comprehend the content of the classroom subject under discussion. When studying, such students tend to study alone in a quiet place and try to transcribe their material on paper. When possible, make designs, drawings, graphs or tables of complex abstract ideas and work alone. Students who learn visually often have trouble working while having a dialogue, even if the dialogue directly pertains to the subject matter. Any homework they can complete using diagrams, time lines, charts, or graphs will be better remembered. As they read pages for homework, they need to either take written notes or underline important facts and dates in colors. When they are learning such auditory concepts as phonetic sounds, they must see the letters to learn. How more kinaesthetic-tactual learners study Of all the types of classroom students, perhaps the kinaesthetic / tactual learners are the most maligned group; they learn best through a hands-on approach. In other words, these are your touchers and feelers; they like to be physically involved as they find it extremely difficult to sit still. They often get out of their desks, pace around the classroom, want to have music or television playing in the background. In short, they are almost constantly finding themselves distracted. They need to learn keyboarding skills, because these types of learners work well on computers where they can touch the keys as they type. They learn well when they can do things, such as in a lab. They need to actually use their hands and bodies while learning. Kinaesthetic / tactual learners may need to walk around or pace or hop or whatever while reading. When studying for tests, they need to make flash cards to remember important dates and facts. Unfortunately, they often have a hard time in school because they have to sit still and listen to a teacher. They need to learn to take notes in class in order to have something for their hands to do. The two right-hand columns in Box 1 below contain additional alternative strategies for such learners.

Summary Before asking you to identify your more dominant studying style, one comment. All of us use the three above studying modalities but often to different degrees. For instance, I seem to study best visually with a pen or highlighter in my hand, with a secondary studying style of kinaesthetic-tactual. If asked to listen to auditory directions, I may understand the first item or two, but then I am lost, in more ways than one. I have to either write down the directions as I hear them, or visualize the oral directions, often requiring the aid of a map. When listening to lectures, I seem to learn best by taking numerous notes and sketching diagrams depicting the content under investigation. My Studying Styles Inventory Name: ____________________________________ Date: ______________________ Instructions: Print out and read over the following three (3) lists of statements. Using a highlighter or pen, circle or/and note the numeral to the left of every statement that you feel that best applies to you, at this point in time of your busy life. As we all differ so markedly in how we acquire and retain knowledge and especially, for this note, how we best study, there are no right or wrong statements, only non applicable comments. You may have as much time as you need to complete the three sections, so read over each studying characteristic carefully and, if it applies to you, note it in your own way before you complete the two remaining sections. Auditory studying style 1. If I hear someone's name, I remember it easily. 2. Rather than reading a book, I prefer to listen to a tape or someone read the book to me. 3. I can pay attention and remember easier when others read out loud to me. 4. I find that songs and jingles help me to remember things. 5. I use oral explanations and ask students to repeat or paraphrase. 6. I use audio recordings whenever possible. 7. I give oral instructions most of the time. 8. I explore and develop information through class discussions. 9. I remember songs after hearing them only a couple of times. 10. I often read and study by repeating information aloud to myself. 11. When taking a class test or term exam, I am easily distracted by background noise. 12. I like to study for tests by having someone quiz me aloud. 13. I like to talk and listen. 14. I work out my math story problems by talking through them aloud. 15. I participate in class discussions/debates. 16. I make speeches and presentations. 17. I use a tape recorder during lectures instead of taking notes. 18. I read text out aloud. 19. I create musical jingles to aid memorization

20. I create mnemonics to aid memorization 21. I discuss my ideas verbally. 22. I dictate to someone while they write down my thoughts. 23. I use verbal analogies, and story telling to demonstrate my point Visual studying style 1. I prefer to have a clear view of my subject teachers when they are speaking. In this way, I can see their body language and facial expression. 2. I use color to highlight important points in a textbook or in a handout. 3. I take notes and I ask my teachers to provide handouts. 4. I illustrate my ideas as a picture or brainstorming bubble before writing them down. 5. I write a story and illustrate it. 6. I use multi-media (e.g., computers, videos, and filmstrips). 7. I study in a quiet place away from verbal disturbances. 8. I prefer to read illustrated books. 9. I visualize information as a picture to aid memorization. 10. To see if I have spelled a word correctly, I write it out to see if it looks right. 11. I can remember names if I see them written on name tags. 12. I enjoy reading books, looking at the pictures and using visual materials such as pictures, charts, maps, graphs, etc. 13. Before doing a project, I prefer to read the instructions or look at the illustrations. 14. I take down class notes to help me to remember what the teacher says. 15. I usually write down my assignments to help me to remember its contents. 16. I like to use flash cards to practice vocabulary words. 17. My desk and locker is neatly organized. 18. I am able to sit and watch TV or work on the computer / internet for a long time. 19. I understand things better when I read them than when I listen to them. 20. I prefer being given a list of duties to complete rather than being told. 21. I seem to be able to picture things in my mind easily. 22. I learn best via visual aids (e.g., chalkboard notes, visual illustrations, charts, graphs, concept maps, outlines, graphic organizers). 23. I seem to understand knowledge best via video recordings. Kinaesthetic-tactual studying style 1. I take frequent study breaks. 2. I move around to learn new things (e.g., read while on an exercise bike, mould a piece of clay to learn a new concept). 3. I enjoy working in a standing position. 4. I chew gum while studying. 5. I use bright colors to highlight reading material. 6. I dress up my work space with posters. 7. I listen to music while I study. 8. I skim through reading material to get a rough idea what it is about before

settling down to read it in detail. 9. I emphasize and clarify ideas through gesture, facial expression and dramatization. 10. I enjoy active learning and direct experience and experimentation. 11. I prefer completing tasks which imply physical movement. 12. I prefer doing class assignments that involve project work. 13. It is hard for me to pay attention when I must sit still for the entire class period. 14. I enjoy sports and being active. 15. I count on my fingers or with other objects to do math problems. 16. My favourite classes are those where I can move around a lot. 17. I choose to play outside rather than sit inside and read a book or listen to tapes. 18. I have a hard time staying neat and organized. 19. I am good at skills that require precise movements, for example, walking on a balance beam, serving a volleyball, or playing ping-pong. 20. I prefer to learn a new activity by being shown how to do it rather than by reading about it or listening to a tape about it. 21. I would like to act out stories rather than talk about them. 22. I have a good sense of balance and rhythm. Summary Instructions Your three (3) above totals may suggest your possible dominant studying style. That is, if your highest total is visual, you likely study best by SEEING, that is, you tend to remember best by using your eyes for studying. If your highest total is auditory, you likely study best by HEARING. In other words, you remember best by using your ears to study. And, if your highest total is kinaesthetic-tactual, you probably study best by DOING things, that is, you remember best by movement or physical activities that involve many parts of your body, in particular, your hands and feet. Box 1 (immediately below), outlines some of the many alternative ways of studying that I have found to be successful.

Subtitle:

And

what

does

that

mean

for

our

profession?

As far as Im concerned, no discussion about the role of technology in our modern music classrooms can be complete without a discussion about the types of music that are worth our attention. Should we only be teaching traditional band, choir, and orchestra literature to our students or is there a place for rock, hip-hop, or techno? It shouldnt be a surprise to readers of my blog that I believe that we are doing a disservice both to our kids and to our profession by continually ignoring how powerful a study of any popular genre can be. (Refer tothis post or this post to hear more about that. OR, if you will be at IMEA in Peoria, IL this year, come check out my clinic!). With my interest in popular genres in the music classroom, I wanted to ask my undergraduate students in the Introduction to Music Education Technology classes that I teach about their favorite artists. What, exactly, is the music that excited our future

music educators? In order to find that out, I asked each of them to simply Name [their] five favorite musical artists. I ended up with 103 responses because a few students couldnt keep their number down to five. After collecting the responses, I categorized each response into one of three genres: classical, jazz, or other. Here is what I came up with: When asked to name a favorite musical artist, only 28% of responses were in a genre that is traditionally taught in our public institutions (classical, jazz). That means that 72% of all responses were in genres that are not traditionally covered in a standard music curriculum (pop, rock, hip-hop, musical theater). If a school provides little-to-no exposure to jazz, the number of genres that arent taught in schools jumps to 85%. (See below the break for more study results and a discussion of what this means.) Lack of concert band and choral recognition Additionally, despite the number of students who are studying band instruments and hope to become band directors, not a single band composer or ensemble was named. The same can be said of choral composers. (Caveat: Obviously, this is a small, unscientific study. Having said that, I feel comfortable asserting that this is an issue that is relevant in other programs around the country. And while I cannot say that these results are in any way conclusive, I think we can use the information to help us ask some important questions about our profession.) So What what this means does is up this for mean? interpretation.

I have no other studies with which to compare this little survey; however, I think it is reasonable that most people would assume that a group of music majors would name a higher percentage of artists that fit into our traditional understanding of art music. This is not a criticism of the responses provided by my classes people are allowed to like one style of music and teach another. But, at the very least, this discrepancy between what future music educators love and what theyll be expected to teach is worth noting. This is not a critique of peoples preferences or choices for their future profession. I suspect that some people will dismiss these results by saying that the large ensemble provides other lessons that are extramusical or that the phrase Favorite Musical Artist was too ambiguous. And while I can accept both of those points, we should think about a few questions:
y How would other undergraduate music education programs around

the country compare to the students who filled out this survey? (If anybody wants to try it, give it a shot and let me know!)
y Why is it that many of our future music educators prefer musical

styles that are so vastly different than the ones they will be expected to teach?
y Do we think that this phenomenon is unique to younger generations

of music educators? Would older teachers respond differently?

y Should we, as a profession, reevaluate the role of what has become

secondary general music?

Of course, there can be a wide range of answers to these questions: some valid, some not. And while Im not going to spend too much time focusing on this discrepancy between our personal tastes and our professional expectations, I would like to point out that, as a profession, things are not going awesomely. As Rick Dammers points out, 20% of high schoolers are engaged in some sort of music program at their school. And, with budgets being slashed around the country, thats not an excellent place for us to be. Theres a quote tucked away in the introduction to Instrumental Music Pedagogy by Daniel Kohut, a former professor at the University of Illinois, that I find very revealing. Originally written in 1973, Kohut has this to say: If we believe that the masses should have access to art music and that education is the means to this access, then why is it that after several decades of music instruction in the schools we still cannot show any strong gains in educating the masses musically? (p. 3) Almost four decades have passed since Kohut wrote that and I feel that it still rings true. By ADDING classes that focus on popular music, not replacing traditional ensembles, we will be providing a great service to both our students and our profession. A quick story When I started my job at Winnebago High School, in Winnebago, IL in addition to working with the bands, I inherited a somewhat crumbling Music Theory & Appreciation program. Those two courses used to run for one semester every other year providing a total of two semesters of music instruction every two years. By the spring of my first year, the school board had voted to vastly increase the curriculum and offer two yearlong levels of Rock and Roll Methods (Intro and Advanced) every year as well as running Appreciation every year. That means that over the course of 5-6 months, Winnebago High School went from offering two semesters of secondary general music to at least 10 semesters of music instruction over a two-year period. Essentially, in a matter of months, the class time devoted to what is traditionally known as secondary general music was multiplied by five. In addition to the increased workload, the school board invested thousands of dollars into new equipment (guitars, headphones, mics, stereo) to ensure that the classes could be effective. Considering the economic times, when so many music programs are being cut, the investment of one rural high school into these courses should be revealing. In a time when our students are more plugged into music than at any previous point in history, we should be engaging them on their own terms. How is it possible that there is only a few types of musical styles that are worth our time? I know that we all listen to a variety of musical styles that provide real pleasurable experiences and yet we only spend our educational time on a fraction of the music that most of us probably consume. I believe that in order for our profession to truly change, we first have to understand that there is value in all types of music. Additionally, we have to begin the process of changing our profession in our undergraduate music education programs providing our future educators with the experience to feel comfortable jumping into general music programs like the ones Ive described. The Introduction to Music Education Technology class that I mentioned above is the

only technology offering in our undergraduate program. Due to this limited time, Prof. Thibeault, (the professor who designed the layout of the course) believes that the course should not only be about our students learning basic computer skills, but also about the philosophy behind the inclusion of computers in our music programs. While students do learn how to be fluent on Sibelius, they also spend a great deal of time with Audacity a free, open-source recording program. (For an example of some of my students work, please listen to their Music as Identity projects in another post.) The course is a start, but its not enough if we want to make some major headway in broadening our curricula. Hopefully, these difficult economic times will allow our profession to engage with these issues in a meaningful way. ____ Thoughts? As always, share them in the comments.
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I agree that music education in the United States can stand to enlarge its scope to include more genres and styles, and I especially like the comment that this can mean adding to, rather than replacing, what is already in place. Performing music in a large ensemble, whether it is Sousa, Bach, Whittacre, or an arrangement of the Halo theme, is an opportunity to develop technique, literacy, and ensemble skills that will hopefully transfer to other musical experiences. At the same time, students Trackback

music and happiness

These internal goings on are all very interesting, but music you like makes you happy doesnt really satisfy as an answer. Its obvious: of course the music we like makes us happy. Thats why we like it.
What we re really asking is, what type of music, on average, brings out the most positive emotion in people. Accounting for taste is easy you just average it out with large enough sample sizes, and look at the trends in the data. This is how psychology studies are typically done, drowning out out individual differences with big sample sizes.